The Graduate Route Visa is a work visa which allows Student route visa holders to stay and work, or look for work, at any skill level in the UK.
Overview of the Graduate Route Visa
It enables international students to stay in the UK after study to work or look for work:
for 2 years if you apply before the 31st December 2026
for 18 months if you apply on or after the 1st January 2027
for 3 years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification
Applicant does not need to be sponsored by an employer or the university
Available to international students who will complete a degree at undergraduate level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track level of compliance.
Does not count towards settlement.
This visa cannot be extended and it is a one-time only visa. If you do not use the full term of the visa e.g. you go back to study another degree on a Student visa, you cannot get back any residual time not used on the Graduate Route visa.
Applicant will not need to prove any living costs to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
The application fee is currently £880, and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is currently £1035 per year.
Eligibility Criteria
Must have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track level of compliance.
Applicants will need their most recent CAS number in order to apply.
Applicant must have valid leave as a Student at the time of application and have spent the required study period in the UK on a Student visa.
Must apply in the UK.
Dependants
Dependants must already be in the UK on a Student Dependant visa to be eligible to apply for the Graduate Route Dependant visa.
Dependants pay the same application and IHS fee per application.
If you are applying with dependants, they will each need to make a separate Graduate Route visa application. Your partner and children must either:
Making Your Graduate Route Visa Application
Once you have successfully gone through your final assessment board and been awarded your degree, RGU will notify UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that you have successfully completed your degree.
Outstanding debt to RGU
If you have outstanding debt, Student Records will notify you of the award but they do not provide the award until you have paid your outstanding debt. Therefore, as you have effectively not been awarded your degree until it has been provided by RGU, the Student Immigration Team cannot notify UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that you have successfully completed your degree.
Please make sure that if you need to make a payment to clear any outstanding debts, your payment reaches Student Finance with sufficient time for the payment to clear. It is only after the payment clears that RGU can notify UKVI of your award. Clearing times can vary greatly depending on the method of payment and where the payment is coming from. Please check directly with Student Finance if you are not sure which payment method to use and you have concerns about payment clearing times.
Please also be aware that if you are not able to pay your outstanding debt in time or make another visa application in a different category (other than the Graduate Route visa) before your student visa expires then you will have to leave the UK to avoid becoming an overstayer.
Please wait for the communication to be sent to you from RGU BEFORE you submit your Graduate Route visa application - please allow up to two weeks after your final assessment board to receive this. The communication to you from RGU will also have your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number which you will require for your Graduate route application form.
Please note that if you submit your Graduate Route visa application before you receive this communication from RGU, it risks being refused by UKVI.
Further information can be found at: Graduate Route Visa